Your Manchester 2013

The Magazine for Alumni and Friends August 2013

manchester Frances O’Grady Speaking up Bravo Beyer!

Pride of Manchester Lights, camera, science

Contents 4

University news

8

Speaking up

10

A world-class campus for a world-class university

11

Bravo Beyer!

12

Still shouting after all these years

14

Uniquely Manchester

16

Shaping futures

18

Working together

21

Your support, our knowledge, their success

22

BBC says farewell to Oxford Road

23

Dynamic language diversity

24

Our worldwide alumni community

26

Pride of Manchester

27

An appreciation: Sir Bernard Lovell FRS

28

Lights, camera, science

30

The delight of discovery

32

48 hours in Manchester

34

Alumni in the spotlight

36

Outstanding and inspirational

38

Development and alumni news

Contact us Your Manchester is published by the Communications and Marketing Division in conjunction with the Division of Development and Alumni Relations, The University of Manchester.

For further information concerning any of the articles in this issue: Tel: +44 (0) 161 306 3066 Email: alumni@manchester.ac.uk The articles printed here, to the best of our knowledge, were correct at the time of going to press. We cannot guarantee that all articles submitted will be printed and we reserve the right to edit material where necessary. Furthermore, the views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester, The University of Manchester Alumni Association, or the Editor.

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elcome to this year’s Your Manchester. Within its pages, you will find news from the University, articles about your fellow alumni, a little bit of nostalgia to remind you of your student days, and open invitations for you to re-connect with and support us in a variety of ways.

2012/13 has been a fantastic year for alumni involvement within all four Faculties of the University and this trend is set to continue and grow. Within the Alumni team we now have five Faculty-facing colleagues who engage with University staff and alumni to work with students to increase their employability and enhance their experience. Over 1,000 alumni – both in the UK and worldwide – have been involved during the past year and it really is an exciting time for all participants. You can meet the team who make this happen and find out more about the programmes on page 38 and we hope you will be inspired to get involved.

Alumni expertise is a rich resource and we would also like to encourage you to put a little something back into your local communities. We’re inviting alumni to contribute to two programmes aimed at

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Can I also remind you to let us know your email address? We know that many alumni love receiving this annual magazine, but we also have news and invitations throughout the year that we want to share with you. For these we use email and we don’t want you to miss out, so please make sure we know your preferred email address.

So, read on, re-visit your past and plan your future with your University. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the next year.

Claire Kilner Head of Alumni and Donor Communications and Engagement Update your email details Email: alumni@manchester.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 161 306 3066

www.facebook.com/AlumniUoM @AlumniUoM Group: The University of Manchester Alumni Association www.flickr.com/manchesteralumni @AlumniUoM

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I hope you enjoy reading this issue and that it leaves you wanting to know more about today’s University and how you can get involved with us, your fellow alumni and the students who are enjoying all that Manchester has to offer at the moment.

Join in the conversation

Thanks to Kate Horton, Simon Harvey and Karen Daniel.

Cover Frances O'Grady, General Secretary of the TUC Photo by: Jason Alden/Rex Features©

enhancing the experience of school pupils. Find out more on pages 16-17.

A clear vision for the future T

his has been another eventful year for the University in which we have continued to make progress towards the ambitious goals outlined in our Manchester 2020 Strategic Plan and unveiled a masterplan to transform our campus over the next decade.

And our students excelled again in the BBC’s University Challenge competition, winning for a record fourth time.

We are committed to our aim of providing an exceptional student experience at the University, and this year we have seen further improvements in the quality of our provision. It is particularly pleasing to see so many alumni supporting this aim and working with our students in innovative ways (see pages 38-39).

In research, we received a number of major grants and awards during the past year, including £64 million to establish the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials, an award to lead a consortium which will host the prestigious British Election Study, and a £12.8 million government grant to part fund the construction of a new cancer research building and pay for vital equipment.

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre. Here too alumni are playing a vital role in supporting their local communities, including a new initiative to provide school governors, and I am always delighted to present our annual Alumni Volunteer of the Year awards (see page 42).

Over the next eight years, we will bring our ambitious Campus Masterplan to life, spending up to £1 billion to create a first-class learning environment for our students and outstanding facilities for our researchers. This initiative will firmly establish our place as a world-leading institution, supporting our ambition to be one of the world’s top 25 universities.

Following the award of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010 to Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene, we have now begun work on the National Graphene Institute. And we have recruited key staff to continue research into this wonder material.

This investment is the most significant in our University’s history and is in addition to the £750 million we have spent in recent years on new buildings and large-scale refurbishments. You can read more about several of these developments in this magazine but I will just mention one here; the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, which officially opened in June, offers our students a stimulating and comfortable study environment with access 24 hours a day, seven days a week (see pages 14-15). It was a concept first championed by my predecessor, the University’s inaugural President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Gilbert, and this superb facility is a fitting tribute to his memory.

Our new social responsibility strategy includes a range of impressive widening participation and public engagement activities through the Manchester Museum, Whitworth Art Gallery and

This year I have had the pleasure of meeting alumni and friends at events in Manchester, London and places further afield such as Singapore and Malaysia. These events are a great

opportunity to consolidate our global alumni links, celebrate achievements and develop new ideas to engage you in our work. I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming months through our growing events programme.

I am constantly reminded of the affection our alumni and friends have for the University and the support you offer, both by spending time with our current students in various mentoring roles and through your generous giving, where you provide vital support for students with financial need.

We celebrated two impressive giving milestones this year, signing up our 10,000th recorded donor and also surpassing a total of £100 million in philanthropic donations since 2004 (see page 43).

Through your time and generosity you become an ever more important part of the University’s future, while also helping us to remember and celebrate our past.

Thank you for your continuing support for and interest in the University.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell President and Vice-Chancellor

At a glance The University of Manchester is ranked 40th in the world by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of Universities (5th in the UK, 7th in Europe)

We have the largest campusbased student community in the UK

We have regular contact with over 270,000 alumni from 200 countries

Over 92% of our graduates go straight into employment or further study (Which?

University 2012)

We have 25 Nobel Prize winners among current and former staff and students

We attracted over £270 million in research funding in 2011/12

We have generated more than 100 spin-out companies

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University news

Strategic relationship with BP One of the world’s leading international oil and gas companies, BP is establishing the hub of its $100 million BP International Centre for Advanced Materials (BP-ICAM) at the University, following a rigorous global review of expertise. The centre will lead research aimed at advancing the fundamental understanding and use of materials across a variety of industrial applications.

Alongside Manchester’s Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the other founder members are the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The BP-ICAM will carry out research into areas of direct interest to industry: structural materials, smart coatings, functional materials, catalysis, membranes, energy storage and energy harvesting.

Colin Bailey, Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, said, “The work we do on advanced materials underpins all our activities in engineering and science, covering all sectors. What makes Manchester distinctive is that we seamlessly work across all disciplines, bringing together the skills and resources needed to address the challenges facing industry and society at large.”

Presenter Jeremy Paxman with the winning team

We are the champions!

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anchester beat University College London in the final of University Challenge on 29 April 2013, with a BBC Two audience of approximately three million viewers. With four wins, a second place and four semi-finals since 2006, the University has dominated the competition in recent years.

This year’s team – Richard Gilbert (Linguistics), Adam Barr (Physics with Astrophysics), David Brice (Economics) and Debbie Brown (Pain Epidemiology) – were again mentored by long-serving coach Stephen Pearson, a University librarian who has been dubbed the ‘Alex Ferguson’ of the quiz world.

www.icam-online.org

People’s historian comes to Manchester

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ne of the country’s best loved historians will become Professor of Public History at the University in September 2013.

Michael Wood, who has been a regular face on our TV screens for over three decades, will teach undergraduate and postgraduate students, lead historical field trips and give four public lectures a year.

He said, “I am thrilled to be involved in such an exciting project in history and the humanities, in such a dynamic and forward-looking university, and especially in my home town Manchester, one of the world’s great historic cities.”

Michael Wood

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“This is probably the sweetest of all Manchester’s victories,” he said. “As soon as I put the team together, I thought their breadth of knowledge and speed on the buzzer meant they were good enough to go all the way. Mind you, my faith in them wavered when they were 75 points behind with only three-and-a-half minutes to go in their firstround match. But their thrilling comeback to win in the last second was the first indication that they had the potential to achieve something special.”

In recognition of their outstanding achievement, the team members each received the University’s Medal of Honour at the Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture on 11 June.

Surprises in a tadpole’s tale

www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk An artist’s impression of the NGI

World-leading graphene institute

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he University has begun work on the £61 million National Graphene Institute (NGI), which will be the UK’s home of research into the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material. The NGI will operate as a ‘hub and spoke’ model, working with other UK institutions involved in graphene research. The building is due to be completed in early 2015.

Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Konstantin (Kostya) Novoselov (Hon DSc 2011) said, “The NGI is fundamentally important to continue the world-class graphene research started in Manchester. Our researchers and scientists will be able to collaborate with colleagues from other universities and from some of the world’s leading companies, which can only serve to enhance scientific research.”

Writing in Nature (October 2012), Sir Kostya and an international team of authors have produced a Graphene Roadmap, which sets out for the first time what this extraordinary material could achieve. It has the potential to revolutionise diverse applications, from smartphones and ultrafast broadband to anti-cancer drugs and computer chips, leading to a huge range of new markets and novel applications.

Scientists at the University’s Healing Foundation Centre have made a surprising finding after studying how tadpoles re-grow their tails. Professor Enrique Amaya looked at the role of chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen in the regeneration process. He found an unexpected rise in hydrogen peroxide following tail amputation, with levels remaining elevated during the entire tail regeneration process. The findings give an insight into tissue healing and the beneficial role that those molecules can have in the regeneration process. www.hfctr.manchester.ac.uk

Network supports public policy development A website has been launched to showcase the contribution of academics from the University to public policy development in the UK. The new network – Policy@Manchester – is directed by Professor Colin Talbot and based at the School of Social Sciences. www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands

Top tourism tip he John Rylands Library, which holds one of the world's finest collections of rare books and manuscripts, features among the list of ‘Top 101 things to do before you go abroad’, published by Visit England. The dramatic gothic building on Deansgate opened to the public on 1 January 1900, and the Library became part of the University in 1972. Between 2003 and 2007, the building underwent major refurbishment, creating new exhibition galleries. A new entrance wing was built providing a range of visitor facilities including a café and shop.

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University Librarian and Director of The John Ryland’s Library, Jan Wilkinson, said, “Library staff work exceptionally hard to care for the Library’s fantastic collections, and to bring them and their stunning home to life through our exhibitions and events. We take immense pride in ensuring that the splendour and beauty of the Library is enjoyed by visitors from across the world today, and are absolutely delighted to see these efforts acknowledged in this way.”

The initiative has been launched to provide a platform to share ideas and events highlighting the wide-ranging areas of public policy engagement. Professor Talbot said, “One of the things that distinguishes top universities is that they are usually powerhouses of public policy ideas. We surveyed staff and found we had around 350 colleagues engaged externally in various areas of public policy. Lots of media folk are discovering there is intelligent life outside of the M25 beltway – Policy@Manchester seeks to capitalise on that.”

www.policy.manchester.ac.uk YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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University news

Nursing pioneer remembered The University celebrated the life of Jean, Baroness McFarlane of Llandaff (19262012), Britain’s first female Professor of Nursing, at a special ceremony on 3 December 2012.

Baroness Baroness McFarlane McFarlane came to Manchester as a Senior Lecturer in 1971 to be Head of Nursing in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at the Victoria University of Manchester. Under her leadership, the Department of Nursing was created in 1973.

Because of her experience and wealth of knowledge, she was invited to be a member of the Royal Commission on the National Health Service. For her work on this, and her services to the nursing profession, she was awarded a life peerage in 1979. Professor Ann Thomson, of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, said, “Jean had a wonderful sense of humour and she could laugh at herself. Her caring humanity, gentle humour and sharp mind won her many friends from all walks of life.”

The University opened the Jean McFarlane Building – home to the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work – in 2009.

Atlas supercomputer in use

Celebrating 50 years of supercomputing

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eveloped at the University between 1956 and 1963, Atlas was the most powerful computer in the world. The first production Atlas was inaugurated at the University on 7 December 1962 by Sir John Cockcroft, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who was Director of the UK’s Atomic Energy Authority.

Scientists and engineers who worked on the Atlas attended the 50th anniversary celebrations, which included demonstrations of the 1948 Manchester Baby – the world’s first stored-program computer

currently housed at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Professor Simon Lavington, who started using Atlas as a research student in 1962, said, “The Atlas event brought together, probably for the last time, a unique group of industrialists, academics and end-users who contributed to a world-class project which brought a huge increase of computing power to the UK’s scientific community in the 1960s.”

Space telescope challenges understanding of the Universe

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urope’s Planck space telescope, which scientists at the Jodrell Bank Observatory helped to build, has compiled the most detailed map of the post-Big Bang Universe ever recorded.

The data also provides the best evidence yet to support the standard model of cosmology, dating the Universe at 13.82 billion years, and refines our knowledge of the Universe’s composition and evolution.

www.jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk

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Professor Richard Davis, who led the University of Manchester Planck team, said, “The information extracted from Planck’s new map provides excellent confirmation of the standard model of cosmology with unprecedented accuracy and sets a new benchmark for our knowledge of the ingredients of the Universe. But it has also revealed some unexplained anomalies in the data that require further study.

Among these interesting findings are fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background over large scales that do not match what the standard model of physics predicts, including an asymmetry in the average temperatures on opposite hemispheres of the skies.”

Sweet success

www.alc.manchester.ac.uk

New focus for the arts

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he launch of the University’s new School of Arts, Languages and Cultures was marked on 22 October 2012 by a keynote address by Sir Adam Roberts, President of the British Academy. One of the country’s best known literary figures, Jeanette Winterson, Professor of Creative Writing at the University, took part in a discussion about gender and the imagination with acclaimed American author AM Holmes. Professor Winterson joined us in September 2012 for two years, and is leading four public events a year as well as teaching MA courses and undergraduate programmes.

Professor Jeanette Winterson

Arts, Languages and Cultures is one of six Schools within the Faculty of Humanities and provides teaching to over 6,500 undergraduates and postgraduates. Its Head, Professor Jeremy Gregory, said, “This is a tremendously exciting development for the place of the arts within The University of Manchester. I look forward to working with my colleagues in building on our already excellent reputation for teaching and research to make this one of the leading centres for the study of arts, languages and cultures in the world.”

Marking Anglo-American relations

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isitors to Manchester city centre may wonder why a statue of President Abraham Lincoln stands on Brazennose Street, where it has been since 1986, having originally been sited in Platt Fields Park. The statue commemorates 'the support that the working people of Manchester gave in their fight for the abolition of slavery during the American Civil War.’ Extracts from Lincoln's letter to the working people of Manchester, thanking them for their help, are reproduced around the plinth.

The 150th anniversary of the 1862 Civil War Meeting at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall, which came down on the side of Lincoln, was on 31 December 2012. The decision came at a cost as the Lancashire Cotton Famine saw many textile workers lose their jobs, or work reduced hours, and struggle to feed their families. Lincoln’s blockade of the Confederate states drastically reduced supplies of cotton reaching Liverpool and,

President Abraham Lincoln therefore, the cotton mills of Lancashire. Dr David Brown, Senior Lecturer in American Studies, explained, “Despite the disastrous effects of the cotton famine, mill workers displayed a remarkable solidarity with Lincoln and American slaves. I hope that the anniversary raises public awareness of Manchester’s and Lancashire’s critical connections to the American Civil War.”

Kaffeination Ltd, an innovative energy sweet company founded by Manchester Business School (MBS) graduates, swept the board at the Rice University Business Plan Competition in Texas, the largest competition of its kind in the world.

The company took first prize in the Shark Tank Presentation round, first prize in the Best Company Showcase and third prize in the Best Elevator pitch.

The idea for the sweets, UPs SolidEnergy, came when the co-founders were revising.

After several cups of coffee, a bag of sweets was lying next to an empty cup and they wondered why there wasn’t a product that combines both sweets and caffeine.

The company also won the University’s annual business start-up competition, Venture Further 2012. David Reetz (MSc Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship 2012) said, “It’s thanks to the MBS enterprise team and their support with producing our business plan for the Venture Further competition that we have been able to achieve what we have.”

www.kaffeination.com

Manchester shines in Power List The University is strongly represented in The Power List 2013 – the list of the 100 most powerful women in the UK today, compiled by Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. Four of the top 20 women have links to the University: former Professor of Law, Baroness Hale of Richmond; Professor Dame Sally Davies (MB ChB Medicine 1972), Chief Medical Officer for England; Frances O'Grady (BA Politics and Modern History 1980), General Secretary of the TUC; and President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell. Alison Nimmo CBE (BA Town and Country Planning 1985, BPI 1986), chief executive of The Crown Estate, appeared in the top 100 names.

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Frances O’Grady

Speaking up She left Manchester a Politics graduate with a family tradition of trade unionism, ready to make her way in the world. But when Frances O’Grady returned to the city to step through the doors of the Mechanics’ Institute more than 30 years later, it was as the first woman to be General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and, according to a BBC poll, one of the most powerful women in Britain.

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Frances speaking at A Future For Families rally in Westminster Photo by: Paul Box/TUC

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Most of us want a decent job, a decent home and enough time to spend with the people we love.

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he puts the poll findings (see page 7) and the attribution of power down to her role as head of an organisation representing some six million people in the workplace. “I’m not being unduly modest but I am aware that you don’t get here because of your individual talents. It’s not just because I’m an incredibly intelligent, charming and likeable personality, though of course, that’s all true,” said Frances with a smile. “But I’ve got here because of the work of generations of trade unionists, men as well as women, who are committed to equality.”

Among those pioneers of activism were her own father, a shop steward at the British Leyland plant in Oxford, where she was born, and her grandfather, a founder member of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union. Frances picked up the mantle at Manchester in the late 1970s, a politically charged and culturally rich time to be a student.

“There wasn’t really much experience in my family of going to university so I suppose the truth is that a lot of it was luck,” she said. “I had family in Wythenshawe, which was great – I always had somewhere to go for Sunday dinner.

They also gave me a different take on the city through their eyes.

“I was in the University Labour Club. We had occupations against fees for overseas students – those were the days? I was also involved in feminism but there was so much going on. There were very strong international student groups, such as refugees from Chile, and I learned so much from them about the world because I hadn’t really travelled. It was like the world on your doorstep in Manchester at that time. It wasn’t just what you learned in the lecture hall, you could learn an awful lot from your friends.

“I loved the city, I loved what I was doing and I loved the people. I feel incredibly lucky that I was there at such a culturally rich time in terms of music, fashion and protest. I ended up in a flat round the corner from the Russell Club, which then became The Factory, so I guess that whole scene of Joy Division, The Buzzcocks and The Undertones will stay with me forever. It was a good time to be young – I loved it all, despite the rain, which was a bit of a shock.”

This interview takes place soon after the death of Margaret Thatcher and it is impossible not to touch on the legacy of the former Prime Minister.

Frances said, “I graduated the year after she came to power. It was a time of campus

Frances at the front of A Future That Works march Photo by: Andrew Aitchison/TUC

occupations and protests and, I guess, in the lead up to 1979, the threat that something terrible was coming. I think her death made people think about the causes of the 2008 crash and whether the ‘greed is good’, ‘let the market rip’ hallmark of Thatcherism ultimately led to the crash.

“It is the TUC’s job to speak up for ordinary working people and, increasingly, unions are the last line of defence, not just for people at work but for communities. One thing I feel personally passionate about is the stripping away of the Education Maintenance Allowance and what that means for bright young people from workingclass backgrounds.”

The People’s History Museum, which reopened in Manchester in 2010 following a major redevelopment, is a national centre for material relating to the history of working people. It is a reminder of the close links between trade unions and other working-class movements. “That’s important because the idea that trade unionism is part of something which is much bigger is something which I carry with me,” Frances went on. “Clearly today, social movements are very different to how they were 100 years ago but the need for those links is still very much alive, not just in this country but internationally – we’re part of the international TUC and part of a global movement.

“Any future government that is committed to tackling the root causes of unacceptable levels of inequality needs to see unions as part of the answer. Very often the media describes unions in terms of strikes and conflicts but the vast majority of what our quarter-of-a-million workplace representatives do, week-in, week-out, is to look after people, make sure they get a fair deal, standing up for them, looking after them when they’re in trouble. We don’t talk enough about that side of trade unionism or that side of human life and what really matters to us all is people.

“Most of us want a decent job, a decent home and enough time to spend with the people we love – it’s as simple as that.”

Frances O’Grady: career 1980 The University of Manchester, BA Politics and Modern History 1994 TUC Campaigns Officer 1997 Led New Unionism campaign and launched TUC’s Organising Academy 2003 Deputy General Secretary of TUC 2013 General Secretary of TUC

www.tuc.org.uk

Manchester and the TUC 2-6 June 1868 First meeting of the TUC, at the Mechanics’ Institute on Princess Street 2018 The TUC will celebrate its 150th anniversary in Manchester

People’s History Museum www.phm.org.uk

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The Masterplan

A world-class campus for a world-class university

Diana Hampson, Director of Estates and Facilities

e University has launched a £1 billion Masterplan to create a single campus. e ten-year scheme will see the construction of new student facilities and teaching and research buildings, and major improvements to the public spaces around the campus.

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resident and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said, “For the first time, we will deliver a single site for The University of Manchester, where engineering, arts, biomedicine, business and all of our other activities live side by side, and our students will be at the real heart of a campus.

“Our long-term aim, as restated in our Manchester 2020 Vision, has been to create a world-leading university that competes with the best universities in the world and occupies a single, outstanding campus, where some of our beautiful old buildings stand alongside the very best in modern facilities for our research and our students.”

The Masterplan was formally approved by the University’s Board of Governors last October and the first phase, costing around £700 million, will be delivered over the next six years. It includes the

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building of a new engineering campus, new centres for the School of Law and Manchester Business School, a major refurbishment of the University Library, a bigger and better Students’ Union and a new Medical School for students in Dover Street. There will also be investment in a combined heat and power facility, as well as the refurbishment of the telescope at Jodrell Bank.

The University will also spend several million pounds to improve public areas and landscaping in order to capitalise on future improvements to Oxford Road, which will see wider pavements, tree-lined boulevards and the removal of all cars during 2015.

Outline plans have been drawn up for a second, four-year phase, which is expected to cost a further £300 million and begin in 2018. This second phase will create a Biomedical Campus around the existing Stopford Building, a new

health and wellbeing centre for staff and students, and include refurbishments in the Schools of Computer Science, Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Chemistry.

Director of Estates and Facilities Diana Hampson said, “Since the merger of the two universities in 2004, it has been our ambition to bring all of the academic activity together on a single site south of the Mancunian Way, which will improve efficiency, improve the student experience and reduce the University’s carbon footprint. This visionary building programme will give us one of the most modern campuses in the world, where the vast majority of our students will be studying in brand new or refurbished buildings.”

http://bit.ly/EstatesMasterplan

Charles Frederick Beyer

Charles Frederick Beyer

Bravo Beyer!

We celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of e University of Manchester’s greatest personal benefactor on 14 May 2013. Charles Frederick Beyer (1813-1876) donated the equivalent of almost £10 million in today’s money to the University’s predecessor institutions. His name lives on through an endowed Chair in Applied Mathematics and a building which forms part of the Old Quadrangle.

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orn in Saxony, Beyer’s parents were hand-loom weavers and he was destined to follow them into the trade. However, his skill as a draughtsman was noticed by a benefactor and he trained as an engineer in Dresden. When he was just 21 he moved to Manchester where he found employment as a mechanical draughtsman with Sharp, Roberts and Co, a firm that was to become a prominent manufacturer of locomotive engines, using many of Beyer’s designs.

In 1853, he entered into partnership with Richard Peacock, a locomotive and mechanical engineer.

Together they founded Beyer, Peacock and Co and established their works on land purchased in Gorton. The company went on to become extremely successful, exporting steam locomotives all over the world and producing almost 8,000

engines before its eventual closure in 1966.

Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry houses an archive of the company, as well as examples of their locomotives.

Beyer was heavily involved in the economic and educational development of the city, including UMIST’s predecessor, the Mechanics’ Institute. In the 1860s he became a governor of Owens College – which was reconstituted as the Victoria University of Manchester in 1903.

Alongside local benefactors such as Richard Copley Christie, he led the public fundraising campaign to support a project to extend and rebuild the college on a larger and more appropriate site. He contributed significant funds of his own, which were instrumental in the college moving from Quay Street to Oxford Road.

The Beyer Building

On his death, Beyer left the residue of his estate for the benefit of the college. His friend Professor Joseph Greenwood, the then principal of the college, said, “His munificent gifts towards the Extension Fund were not more conspicuous than the warm personal interest which he always showed in the growth and prosperity of the College.”

Beyer is a major figure in the history of engineering and economic development and of education in Manchester. The 200th anniversary of his birth is an opportunity to remember his tremendous legacy. Beyer himself believed that “the prosperity of such institutions [as Owens College] was best secured when all the various branches of liberal and scientific knowledge were pursued in common.”

Chris Cox, the University’s Director of Development, commented, “Beyer’s story demonstrates how donor support has played a crucial role in shaping the University throughout its history. Donations are still as crucial today in ensuring we continue to offer the very best opportunities and facilities to our students, staff and researchers.”

To find out more about supporting the University with a donation visit: www.manchester.ac.uk/donate YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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The student experience

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We’re keen to support the University in its key goal to promote social responsibility.

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Nick Pringle, Students’ Union General Secretary 2012-13

Still shouting Aside from the notable exception of the rise in student fees, those alumni who graduated with the sound of anti-apartheid and anti-war campaigns still ringing in their ears may wonder if activism is still a part of today’s student experience.

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sit-in at the library today is more likely to be about a last-minute cram to finish an assignment, coupled with luxurious 24-7 access to computer facilities. Banners tied loosely to railings still proclaim the best candidate for student exec, but the trestle-table lobbyists outside the Students’ Union are more about awareness-raising and promotion – a friendly invitation to better understand multiculturalism or the benefits of recycling.

But students are still very involved in Union activities at the University; and, in turn, the Union is still committed to making a positive difference to their lives and also the Greater Manchester community as a whole, albeit with different ways of achieving their goals, according to Nick Pringle, Students’ Union General Secretary 2012-13.

“We do work closely with the University, perhaps more so than in the past,” he said. “For instance we’re keen to support the University in its key goal to promote social responsibility because it’s a complementary goal.

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after all these years “Last year we raised half-a-million pounds for charity which means we’re putting back into communities in the North West. The number of hours our student volunteers put in at more than 40 different community projects is astronomical – taking elderly people shopping, taking kids bowling, feeding Manchester’s homeless. Every day, students are making a difference in Manchester, being active and engaged but not necessarily carrying a placard to achieve it.”

“It’s a huge, dedicated space for student study.

The 24-7 element feels natural; it’s what most students expect. If you’ve got a 9.00am deadline for an essay you can expect to be writing up to 6, 7 and 8.00am that morning, having worked through the night. We have more students than ever before studying part time and for people fitting their studies around family life and work commitments that kind of access to study facilities is really important.”

Recent changes on campus, such as the opening of the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, which provides a 21st-century study environment, have boosted student facilities. Further refurbishment of the Students’ Union building itself, coupled with future planned developments in the University’s Masterplan, mean even greater enhancements, so perhaps it’s not surprising the Students’ Union takes a pragmatic approach.

History student Nick is what’s known in modern parlance as a BNOC (Big Name On Campus) and, despite students these days being fully wired and wireless and appearing to be in constant mobile communication, he believes there is no substitute for face-to-face communication with his 40,000strong constituency: “We put a lot of time and effort into the online student community but you can’t beat face-to-face interaction with students, especially at election time. This year there were 50 candidates for the eight SU executive posts, which suggests to me an active desire to be involved.

Nick explains, “All the way through the design and build of the Learning Commons, the Students’ Union had a voice in the project, making sure the University sought the views of students to see what they wanted and we continue to be involved in the monitoring and review of the building’s use.

number of societies, writing for the student newspaper or being one of the 1,600 volunteers involved in outreach and widening participation activities. Our students go into schools to talk to pupils who might never have considered higher education. We too want to make sure that Manchester’s student population is as diverse as possible.

“Basically the student experience today is personal to everyone and one of the great things about this University is the diversity of its students and subjects. Over the next ten years there are going to be even more exciting changes here and I’m really looking forward to coming back after graduating to see them for myself.”

In the campaign for a positive and life-enhancing student experience, the ‘student voice’ of 2013 is undoubtedly no less passionate, committed or enthusiastic than that of previous generations.

http://manchesterstudentsunion.com

“We also know from our records that 30 per cent of students are actively involved in our activities – that could mean membership of our growing YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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Inspiring art

The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons sits next to the Old Quadrangle

Uniquely Manchester A tribute to one man’s vision, the new £24 million Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, which was officially opened in June, is already a hugely popular resource for students. Alumni walking along Oxford Road and expecting to see the refectory building will be astonished by its transformation.

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niversity Librarian Jan Wilkinson said, “The opening of the Learning Commons is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through collaborative work across the University. The facilities that have been created for our students are undoubtedly amongst the best in the UK; exactly as former President and Vice-Chancellor Alan Gilbert wanted them to be.

He would be delighted to see fulfilled this aspect of his aspirations for Manchester students.”

The rich heritage, history and culture of the University runs like a seamless thread through the fabric of the entire building, telling the story of the institution and its people, their achievements and innovations. From the inspirational quotes, which have been laser cut into wood panelling throughout, to the 25 bespoke purple chairs, each representing one of the University’s Nobel Laureates, subtle and effective design features provide a stunning backdrop to some of the 1,000 flexible study spaces.

Distinguished alumni have their names etched into floor tiles in the building’s foyer and thoughtprovoking messages from Wittgenstein to AJP Taylor, Sylvia Pankhurst to Alan Turing decorate the walls. Students too have created their own stunning designs, reflective of the Manchester experience, and these are printed on to the walls, doors and glass panelling of the study spaces.

“The idea was to create a building which said ‘Manchester’ right the way through it, a building which could only exist in Manchester,” said graphic designer Steve McCabe, of the University’s Communications and Marketing Division, who conceptualised the creative elements in the building.

A ‘learning commons’ is a building where students can get together and learn, either on an individual basis or by working collaboratively in groups. There are no books. The building contains an inspiring range of equipment and furnishings for individual and group study. www.library.manchester.ac.uk/ learningcommons

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Mrs Ingrid Gilbert is joined by (left-right) Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell; Nick Pringle, General Secretary of the Students’ Union; Jan Wilkinson, the University Librarian; and Tom Bloxham, the University Chancellor

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Social responsibility

Our alumni are amazing role models for young people.

Shaping futures As part of the University’s social responsibility strategy, alumni are encouraged to engage and make a difference in their local communities through two exciting new schemes.

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chool Governors One-Stop Shop (SGOSS) and Future First are two organisations we have partnered with to spearhead a key strand of the Manchester 2020 Vision.

We are making social responsibility a distinguishing feature of all our activities, ensuring we support our current and former students to make a positive difference to young people in state school education.

Manchester is the first university to formally partner with SGOSS, a national charity whose aim is to help fill the 30,000 current vacancies for state school governors across England. School governors form the country’s largest group of educational volunteers; on average each governor influences the education of around 550 children. Our staff have already shown their commitment by enlisting, making the University the leading employer in the North West for governor recruitment. A recent league table also ranked the University fourth in the UK for recent registrations of school governors, ahead of the Ministry of Defence, Department for Education, BT and all the major banks.

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Future First uses an innovative platform to pair up individuals with their former state schools or colleges as alumni to help with volunteering, careers presentations or pupil mentoring. This involvement equips young people with the support, aspiration and information they need to succeed in life.

“Manchester alumni are an amazing resource for school leaders and young people,” said Julian Skyrme, Director of Social Responsibility. “As successful, professional individuals across a rich range of occupational backgrounds, they have a lot to offer governing bodies in schools and young people directly. We know many of our students are enriched by the social dynamism of the University and city of Manchester to affect positive change in society. This often comes from studying about social issues, voluntary experiences, gap years or involvement in student societies.

“As the biggest alumni community of any campusbased university in the country, we are in a unique position to make a positive impact in education.

Through these schemes we can encourage former students to make a positive difference in state

schools, who really require their experience and professional judgment. I can also say from firsthand experience that it is a fantastic way to gain a different challenge, develop professionally and personally, and apply such a variety of transferable skills.”

Would you like to contribute to the strategic development of a school by becoming a governor?

Could you act as a role model for young people where you live? You don’t need to be a parent and you don’t need to work in education, but your skills and your experience could help shape the future of schools and young people in your area.

The University is proud to be associated with both these programmes, which are aimed at resourcing the state school sector with the skills of Manchester alumni. We enjoy working with schools across all sectors in the UK and also internationally, and are keen to learn of the activity of our alumni in relation to schools and colleges of all types – please mention this activity on your enclosed update form or in an email to us at alumni@manchester.ac.uk.

Manchester Graduate Internship Programme Our Graduate Internship Programme provides businesses and organisations in the Greater Manchester City Region with a quick and effective way to recruit new graduate talent. All recruiters receive full administrative and recruitment support throughout the process, from advertising the opportunity through to dealing with applicants and arranging interviews. Further support is provided to both the recruiter and the graduate for the duration of the internship.

For full details of how to offer an internship through the Manchester Graduate Internship Programme visit:

Becoming a governor Catherine Wright (MA Medieval History 2003), School Governor at Northmead School, Guildford As a manager at Ernst and Young, Catherine’s job takes her all over the world and that’s why she decided to become a partnership governor at Northmead Junior School in Guildford, a five-minute drive from where she currently lives.

“I really wanted to do something in the community, something that I could actually help with and, because of my work skills and my family’s involvement in teaching, this seemed like

a good match. From a personal point of view this is a different way for me to use my skills and develop in a different environment. It’s also an opportunity for me to switch off from work and do something completely different and that gives you a sense of perspective. It’s been a good experience for me so far.”

School governance is the most important voluntary role in our education system. To find out more about becoming a governor in England and register your interest, please visit: http://sgoss.org.uk/sgoss-and-theuniversity-of-manchester

Becoming a Future First alumna Katy Drillsma-Milgrom (Dip Professional Studies and Nursing 2006), Future First School alumna, Hampstead Comprehensive Despite working as a senior staff nurse in the busiest intensive care department in London, Katy is committed to making time for her old school and is one of four Manchester alumni giving something back to Hampstead Comprehensive in West Hampstead.

“I go in and talk to students for an hour once a month or maybe once every two months but I really don’t have to prepare anything – the students prefer just to ask questions. We have web profiles so the students can also email us

but you can be as involved as you want to be.

It’s not onerous and I find it very rewarding.

“I was involved in arts and music at school but then had a massive career swerve into nursing.

I think I would have found it very useful for someone in my position to come to my school and reassure me that it’s perfectly normal to change your mind and not to know at 16 what you want to do with the rest of your life.”

The University of Manchester and Future First are working together to create thriving alumni communities for all state schools. To find out more and sign up please visit: www.futurefirst.org.uk/register/uom

Are you a state school governor?

We hope to add alumni to our network of state school governors to share strategies, practices and engagement opportunities with the University’s broader range of work with schools and colleges. Please get in touch if you wish to join this network by emailing us, with ‘School

Governor’ in the subject heading. Include the name, location and type of state school where you are a governor in the text of your message to:

www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/ recruit Internships Team Email: recruitment@manchester.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)161 275 4041

The intern’s story Six months into his one-year internship, Nathan Bibbon (BSc Psychology 2011) had developed enough skills, knowledge and experience to apply and secure a full-time job with his employer, After Adoption, a voluntary adoption agency. He is now a communications officer with responsibilities for an internal newsletter and website management.

He explained, “The skill base I was offered and the opportunity to get into this sector of work made the internship a very attractive proposition for me.

What was really useful though was the opportunity to get into marketing without having a marketing degree. An internship is an ideal way into the working world for students who are not entirely sure if they can get into certain sectors of work. I’d definitely recommend it.”

The recruiter’s view Jill Speers, Lettings Manager, Around Town Flats, said, “Recruiting a new graduate each summer through expensive recruitment agencies had been a hit and miss experience in past years. The Manchester Graduate Internship Programme provided us with a short list of vetted candidates who were all keen to gain experience of working in our sector. It was a tough decision selecting one candidate but our intern has been the perfect fit.”

alumni@manchester.ac.uk YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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Dynamic partnership

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Bringing together academia, industry and clinicians in one centre creates the real possibility of innovation.

The Core Technology Facility Building, home to the MCCIR

Working together: patients to benefit from unique collaboration A ground-breaking research centre is pioneering a novel approach to the investigation of inflammation and inflammatory disease, which affect millions of people worldwide.

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ranslating trail-blazing research from bench to bedside has occupied scientists, clinicians and industry for decades.

Academic discovery is traditionally followed by translational work in order to encourage the pharmaceutical industry to bring a product to market.

But a new centre at The University of Manchester is developing a different approach, bringing together a young and dynamic team to ensure its science has a bigger impact.

The Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR) is establishing a world-leading translational centre for inflammatory diseases, which lead to pain, disability and, in some cases, premature death. The team hope to deliver more effective treatments for a range of conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

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The difference with this Manchester model is that the centre is a dynamic partnership between the University and two major pharmaceutical companies – GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca – with each partner making an initial investment of £5 million over a three-year period.

Tracy Hussell, Professor of Inflammatory Disease, joined the University from Imperial College London last year and is the Director of the MCCIR. She explained, “Bringing together academia, industry and clinicians in one centre creates the real possibility of innovation. The ideas that spring from this partnership will fuel the treatments of the future and provide the ideal platform to transfer scientific progress into clinical benefit.

“When you’re working in biological sciences, your main aim is to make a difference to human beings and cure them of their various illnesses. But we have to overcome the traditional barriers that lie between academic discovery, translational research

(left-right) Professor Martin Humphries, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences; Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell; Professor Tracy Hussell; and Professor Ian Jacobs, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences

Dendritic cell Photo by: Professor Andrew MacDonald

and the development of new therapeutics by industry. It’s far better to put all three together at the beginning and ask ‘where is the unmet need and what is the most important hypothesis to address?’

“The MCCIR is different because industry has invested in blue skies research before a hypothesis to test has been formed. We will sit down together to determine what that hypothesis should be. This means we will bring in better expertise and tools and apply these to more relevant patient material at the beginning. The process of ‘bench to bedside’ will be much faster.

“This is very exciting. In the past we knew we were working on something important but we could not actually see a therapeutic benefit at the end of it. It’s not great if what you’re working on is never going to become a drug.”

By September, the staff of the MCCIR will be 50 strong, with key academics, their teams and associated grants moving to Manchester, including Professor Daniel Davis from Imperial College, Professor Andrew MacDonald from Edinburgh and Professor Mark Exley from Harvard, as well as Dr James Fildes, Dr Mark Travis, Dr Amy Saunders and Dr Gloria Lopez-Castejon. They have all been recruited for their expertise in areas of innovation in inflammatory disease.

Tracy also wants to encourage bright, young scientists to join the team with prize post-doctoral fellowships in place to fast track talented young scientists into becoming principal investigators.

“I’d like the MCCIR to double in size and we’re already talking to three more potential industrial partners,” she added. “All the academics have come with our own funding, we all have collaborative links with industry, with people in the wider Manchester community and with people all over the world. In the context of their usual research and development budgets, we believe the MCCIR is excellent value for money.

“I believe this is a national or even an international model, which will be rolled out across the globe, and I think industry will start to look for pockets of expertise within their drug indications and form alliances with them. It’s a much cheaper way of carrying out research and development.”

The innovative aspect of MCCIR’s approach focuses on analysing health to understand disease.

Tracy said, “I work specifically on the lung and if you can understand the lung, particularly when it’s healthy and not inflamed, then you can unpick what’s gone wrong during inflammation.

“We want to understand more about cells within their tissue-specific context. Analysing peripheral blood and comparing between health and disease provides some answers, but you really need to get at the cells in the diseased tissue. In the lung, for example, we’re focusing on the main interaction responsible for maintaining it in a healthy state.

We’ve decided that it’s about a particular immune cell type interacting with the epithelium, the lining cells – that’s where health or inflammation is determined.

“Inflammatory processes underpin many of our priority areas of research and this is a ground-breaking collaboration. The creation of the new centre is indicative of a new era of pre-competitive sharing within the pharmaceutical sector and with academic scientists, to bring our learning together to ensure the faster delivery of effective medicines to patients.”

Dr Menelas Pangalos, Executive Vice-President Innovative Medicines, AstraZeneca

“This collaboration will bring together expertise in biomedical research from the University with the resources and drug discovery expertise from GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca to create true partnership and synergy. It firmly establishes the UK and The University of Manchester at the forefront of innovative and enterprising research into inflammatory disease.”

Professor Ian Jacobs, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences

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Dynamic partnership

“The announcement made today by The University of Manchester, GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca is a fantastic example of partnership working and its potential to translate cutting-edge science into health and commercial benefits.”

Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities and Science

“We’ve found that the immune system’s default is to be inflamed, but it is restrained by tissuespecific factors. We have always been taught that inflammation occurs when immune cells encounter something foreign. However, your immune system can be inflamed at any time but is prevented from being so by the healthy structure. So an antigen – a substance that causes your immune system to react – does not cause the inflammation. It damages the structure, which releases the normal control of the immune system, causing inflammation.

“This is a completely different way of thinking about inflammation. And it means the therapies you need to develop are different. We are looking at new ways of categorising patients so that they get the right treatment. This concept has implications for industry, in terms of the selection

Meet the Dean

of patients recruited for clinical trials, implications for what drugs they choose to develop, and implications too for patients and clinicians.

“I think we have been treating the product of the inflammation and we haven’t thought about the context and cause at the beginning. That’s where the solution lies. Instead of treating symptoms, we will try to stop patients progressing in their disease.

“At the moment, if you have arthritis you are put on methotrexate and if that doesn’t work you are prescribed something else. But mopping up the end product does not stop disease progression.

We need to put the patient on the right treatment for them at the beginning. To form a personalised approach to treatment we first need to make sure the treatments are the right strategy.”

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www.mccir.ls.manchester.ac.uk

rofessor Ian Jacobs is Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, VicePresident of the University and Director of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC). He also leads a laboratory and clinical research team focused on detection and screening for gynaecological cancers.

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reputation as a world-leading centre for biomedical sciences and their clinical application. Ian said, “We are the largest supplier of healthcare graduates to the NHS within the North West of England – and many of our graduates go on to deliver healthcare provision and scholarship in developed and developing health systems across the globe.

Ian joined the University in April 2011, having previously been Dean of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at University College London: “Manchester presented an incredible opportunity. You only have to look at the quality of the University and NHS Trusts, the talents of the clinicians and academics, and the breadth of activity in health science, including the fact that the MAHSC is the only one of the five accredited Academic Health Science Centres located north of Cambridge.”

“I am very proud of the enthusiasm and vibrancy of our students and staff, our commitment to improving health and quality of life, and the diversity of opportunity in research and education that our faculty has to offer.”

The MAHSC is a partnership between six NHS organisations and the University. The centre undertakes research and education, and provides healthcare to a population of 3 million people in Greater Manchester, with a further 11 million people living within a 50-mile radius. The partners share a common goal of giving patients and clinicians rapid access to the latest research discoveries, and improving the quality and effectiveness of patient care.

Professor Ian Jacobs

Natural Killer cells Photo by: Professor Daniel Davis

The Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences is undergoing a process of transformation, with new appointments and a focus on building its

Explore the Faculty of Medicine and Human Sciences at: www.mhs.manchester.ac.uk

Your Manchester Insights Lectures Professor Ian Jacobs will deliver Insights Lectures in Manchester and London in the near future. Further details can be found on the Events Calendar at: www.manchester.ac.uk/ymo

Graduate impact

Your support, our knowledge, their success

John Paul Kibirango at work at Total E&P in Uganda

ey want to have an impact not just on individuals but on whole nations.

A group of Manchester alumni are making a real impact in their home countries and your support is making it happen. ince 2007, the University’s International Equity and Merit Scholarship programme has supported 55 professionals to study at Manchester, graduate and then return to make an impact in Uganda, Rwanda, Bangladesh and now Tanzania.

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The scheme helps talented students from some of the world’s poorest nations undertake degrees that address a particular need or skills gap. They are students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who, despite their academic ability, cannot afford to study at a leading university overseas.

A number of former International Equity and Merit Scholars are currently working in Uganda, a country with which the University already has well-established links. Their careers vary widely, from a doctor who works on a malaria/HIV

project to another who works in the Capital Markets Authority, responsible for bringing capital into the country.

They are generally early and mid-career professionals in a position to use their skills and experiences to make changes and influence policy and processes. Ethel Nakakawa completed her MSc in Medical and Diagnostic Virology in 2009 and now works as a teaching assistant at Makerere University in Uganda. She said, “There are a limited number of virologists here, so outbreaks of viral disease usually mean importing expertise, but now I can help reduce this by training people. I hope to have an impact not just on individuals but on my whole nation.”

John Paul Kibirango is an Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduate (2010) and is currently working with Total E&P in Uganda as an oil well

drilling engineer. “Manchester introduced me to a diverse and cross-cultural environment,” he explained. “It is the skills that I developed and the experiences that I gained that are helping me to be successful in my role at Total E&P where I work with a diverse team of engineers from all around the world.”

The University has now committed to funding the Equity and Merit Scholarship scheme until at least 2015. Each of this year’s 15 scholars has a named donor, thanks to generous gifts from alumni and friends, helping to provide vital living and travel expenses.

Find out how to support the Equity and Merit Scholarship scheme: www.manchester.ac.uk/ international/equity-and-merit YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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BBC in Manchester

New Broadcasting House, Oxford Road Photo by: ©BBC/Emma Farrer

Demolition under way Photo by: Andrew Brooks

BBC says farewell to Oxford Road

MediaCityUk, Salford Photo by: ©BBC/Jeff Overs

It seems it was loved and loathed in equal measure.

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ut then, very few 1970s buildings of pre-cast concrete panels with bronze-tinted glass windows stay in the memory for long. ‘Oft derided’, ‘ugly’, ‘drab’ and ‘unfit for the 21st century’ were the terms most frequently used to describe the – now-demolished – northern headquarters of broadcasting on Oxford Road, Manchester.

With a great deal less pomp and ceremony than the closure of BBC Television Centre in London earlier this year, the wrecker’s ball made swift work of New Broadcasting House in late 2012, bringing to an end 35 years of broadcasting history. All that remained at the time of going to press was a 300,000 sq ft, empty space opposite the Dancehouse (formerly the Regal Cinema).

But listen carefully when traffic on Oxford Road calms down and you may still hear the ghostly strains of an orchestra rehearsal, Peter Powell introducing The Smiths on the Oxford Road Show, the happy, skippy Keith Chegwin bouncing his way through Cheggars Plays Pop or the production team discussing the next Songs of Praise.

The uninspiring site at All Saints on Oxford Road has been a landmark for generations of alumni.

The BBC moved there in 1975 after relocating

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from Piccadilly. Officially opened in 1976 by Prime Minister James Callaghan, it was home to BBC Manchester, BBC Radio Manchester and BBC North West, the Religion and Ethics Department and what was later to be known as the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.

Flagship shows made there include Question of Sport, Dragons’ Den, Life on Mars, Mastermind, Red Dwarf, The Heaven and Earth Show and, of course, some of us remember Screen Test with Michael Rodd.

The sale and demolition of the building was brought about by the BBC’s move to MediaCityUK at Salford Quays, creating the largest news centre outside London and the BBC’s second largest creative hub, with some of the staff who used to work at Oxford Road joining relocating staff from London. The Director of BBC North, Peter Salmon, told a gathering at the Manchester Business School last year that building a new base in the heart of the UK represented the biggest and most ambitious project in the history of the BBC. So, with the BBC gone from the city centre and a new chapter in broadcasting history underway, what next for the empty space on Oxford Road?

It’s a key site for regeneration – the largest single

development area in the city. Realty Estates bought the land from the BBC and the company has floated its intention to build a hotel, supermarket and flats as well as a public space for exhibitions, broadcasts and performances. There has also been a stated intention to open up the site to create new pedestrian pathways and ‘generous open spaces’.

The first partnership of its kind in the UK, Corridor Manchester brings together Manchester City Council, The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to build on the partners’ investments in the 243-hectare area running south from St Peter’s Square to Whitworth Park along Oxford Road. The partners see the clearance of the former BBC site as a critical piece of the jigsaw to bring in significant investment and jobs to the Corridor and improve its physical environment.

So Oxford Road will continue to morph its way through the 21st century and one iconic landmark will ultimately be replaced with another. We can only hope that its visual appearance is a little more stimulating. www.corridormanchester.com

Multilingual Manchester

Dynamic language diversity Manchester is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities. Linguists at the University have discovered that the city boasts at least 153 different languages, including many rare dialects. he list has been compiled by the University’s web-based Multilingual Manchester project, based in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. Set up in 2010 to document, protect and support the languages spoken in Manchester, the project now manages the largest archive of its kind in the world.

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Multilingual Manchester produces online documentation of language use in the city’s communities, studies of language policy, exhibitions and social networking surrounding the theme of languages, and surveys of language needs. The project brings together University students, experienced researchers, community representatives and members of local services.

“Manchester’s language diversity is higher than many countries in the world,” said project co-organiser Professor Yaron Matras. “It is very likely to be top of the list in Europe, certainly when compared to other cities of its size, perhaps only outflanked by London and Paris.

“We do know that around two thirds of Mancunian schoolchildren are bilingual – a huge figure which indicates just how precious its linguistic culture is. As immigration and the arrival of overseas students to the city continue, it’s fair to say that this already large list is set to grow.”

Rare languages spoken in the city include Chitrali from northern Pakistan, Konkani from western India, Dagaare from Ghana and Uyghur from north-western China.

Yaron’s research also suggests that the national census data, released by the Office for National Statistics in December 2012, has strongly underestimated the number of multilingual households across the UK. “The question contained within the census, which asks for your 'main language', can be interpreted in different ways. Most multilinguals speak a language other than English at home, but use English at work or in their place of study, so they will answer that English is their 'main' language, even though this is not strictly accurate.”

The project allows researchers and students to make a difference to their local community by providing local services with information on the needs of the different language communities.

Yaron added, “It’s also about helping communities understand one another by raising awareness of languages and cultures.”

His team has been working closely with local authorities and schools to advise on the language needs of the city. They have also worked with the NHS on prioritising languages for information and advice on access to health care, for city council agencies and schools. http://mlm.humanities. manchester.ac.uk

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Across the world

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Changing lives

Lenox Green with local children…

Pride of Manchester

…and with David Ward

To the people they help they are heroes, but Lenox Green and David Ward are just happy to go that extra mile.

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oth have been recognised for the tireless work they carry out in order to help others less fortunate than themselves. Staff member Lenox, a postgraduate office administrator in the School of Mathematics, not only received the staff award at the University’s Social Responsibility and Volunteer of the Year Awards 2012, but was also named Manchester Champion at the inaugural Made in Manchester Awards. David, a postgraduate in the School of Mathematics, won Local Hero of the Year in a competition run by Coca Cola to find the UK’s top community champions.

Lenox and his wife Heather have spent six evenings a week for the past decade helping young people have fun in a safe environment, get good advice on a range of issues and achieve their potential. He even remortgaged his house to set

up a children’s centre in Hulme. The couple opened the Rainbow Christian Centre in 2003 to help recovering drug addicts but then focused their attention on preventing addiction and the associated behaviour that led to it. Their projects include a gym for adults, youth groups, food handouts, Saturday social events, prison visiting, court appearances, family liaison and advice. And in August of each year, Lenox takes a week off work to run a play scheme.

David, meanwhile, has been involved in a string of projects with individuals with learning disabilities, children from difficult backgrounds and the homeless. He is one of the co-ordinators of the Ladybarn Project, which provides activities for a group of teenagers with learning difficulties from around south Manchester. He has arranged a number of trips to theatres, cinemas and restaurants.

David has also organised Student Action’s homeless outreach projects, taking food and hot drinks to the homeless in the city centre, and he finds time to volunteer at a Saturday club run by the Catholic Fellowship for people with learning disabilities.

Lindsay Gilbert, Head of Volunteering and Community Engagement at the University, said, “Lenox and David demonstrate the real difference that members of the University community can make to our local neighbours. Their commitment to changing the lives of other people is truly inspirational. It is fantastic that their achievements have been recognised not only by the University but by the city of Manchester.”

Please also see page 42 for details of our Social Responsibility and Volunteer of the Year Awards. www.engagement.manchester.ac.uk

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A towering figure

An appreciation: Sir Bernard Lovell FRS e founder and first Director of the University’s world-famous Jodrell Bank Observatory has died, aged 98. e legacy of the Emeritus Professor of Radioastronomy is immense, extending from his wartime work to his pioneering contributions to radio astronomy, and including his dedication to education and public engagement with scientific research.

Sir Bernard Lovell FRS

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warm and generous man, Sir Bernard retained a keen interest in the development of science at Jodrell Bank and beyond and continued to work at the Observatory until ill health intervened. President and ViceChancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said, “We are all greatly saddened by Sir Bernard's death. He was a towering figure, not just in Manchester or the UK, but globally.

Sir Bernard leaves a fantastic legacy at the Observatory which is a worldclass centre for astronomy research, an iconic science monument, and a centre that attracts thousands of visitors and inspires scientists of the future.”

Born in 1913, Sir Bernard studied at the University of Bristol before coming to Manchester to work in the Department of Physics in 1936.

During World War II, he led the team that developed H2S radar, work for which he later received an OBE. Returning to Manchester in

1945, he began work on cosmic rays using ex-military radar equipment. He brought this equipment to a University botany site at Jodrell Bank in late 1945, founding the Observatory. Jodrell Bank is dominated by the 76-metre Lovell Telescope, which has become an icon of British science and engineering and a landmark in the Cheshire countryside.

A hugely ambitious project, the telescope was by far the world's largest when it was completed in 1957, within days tracking the rocket that carried Sputnik 1 into orbit, marking the dawn of the space age. It is still the third largest steerable telescope in the world.

Today, the Lovell Telescope plays a key role in world research on pulsars, testing our understanding of extreme physics including Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. www.jodrellbank.net

In memoriam Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre operated an online book of remembrance for a period after Sir Bernard’s death in August 2012, and received many appreciative comments from around the world including the following from Manchester alumni: “Jodrell Bank provided me with the best possible start to my professional life. The experience of research, the friends and colleagues I made whilst at JB is something I am truly grateful for. Long may Sir Bernard's extraordinary legacy continue to last. A truly inspirational man to all who knew and worked with him.”

Oliver Hewitt (MSc Radio Astronomy 2004)

“I will always remember Sir Bernard asking penetrating questions of those speakers fortunate enough to have him as an audience, during my time at Jodrell Bank as a student, and being distracted from lectures by the movement of the telescope that bears his name.”

Dr Stewart Eyres (BSc Mathematical Physics 1992, MSc Radio-astronomy 1994, PhD Radio-astronomy 1996) “I had the honour of meeting him briefly in 2000…and he popped into our project room at Jodrell Bank to say hello whilst he was visiting. He seemed genuinely happy that we were there learning at the facility he created, which was very touching and encouraging, and something I will always remember.”

Katie Atkinson (BSc Physics 2001)

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Science and cinema

Photo by: Moviestore Collection/Rex Features©

Dr David Kirby

Lights, action, Have you ever watched a film about a virus threatening to wipe out mankind and wondered… “Could that really happen?” Or a film where the earth’s inner core stops rotating, giving us just 24 hours to solve the problem, and thought…

“Is that really possible”?

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y their very nature, science fiction films are speculative and fantastical. But film makers have long since realised that a degree of scientific plausibility can lead to even greater box office success. So what happens when science goes to the movies, and why is it important to study science communicated through entertainment?

These fundamental questions are tackled by Dr David Kirby, Senior Lecturer in Science Communication Studies at the University’s Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine.

His highly rated book, Lab Coats in Hollywood: Science, Scientists, and Cinema (MIT Press 2011), examines the interaction of science and cinema: how science consultants make film science plausible, how filmmakers negotiate scientific accuracy within production constraints, and how films affect popular perceptions of science.

David said, “It has become more common over the last 20 years to have science consultants advising on movie productions, but you’ll find scientists involved as consultants all the way back to the beginnings of cinema. Film makers realised that they were going to have to bring in scientists to make things plausible and they also understood the PR value of

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saying that their movie could happen – this is not science fiction, this is science fact.

“I’m studying this process. In particular, I’m interested in how scientists can communicate through entertainment media, but also in the ways in which the media themselves can impact on how people think about science and the subsequent impact on science.

“A scientific journal can be highly effective in communicating information, for example in teaching evolutionary biology, but in terms of impacting what science means to people, movies and television shows can be far more effective. I show in the book that there are lots of ways that movies can be a very powerful force in influencing public attitudes to science and influencing other scientists as well.

“The movies frame science in a particular way or raise awareness of particular issues in science. For example, they frame genetic engineering as ‘bad’ in Jurassic Park or frame scientists as ‘heroes’ in Dante’s Peak or Twister or even the recent Contagion, where they describe a particular type of science and a particular organisation – the Centre for Disease Control in America – as being the organisation that can save the world when we have

Photo by: c.Warner Br/Everett/Rex Features©

Photo by: c.Universal/Everett/Rex Features©

Photo by: c.Warner Br/Everett/Rex Features©

science a viral outbreak. That is incredibly powerful. The idea is not to focus on whether or not that particular piece of science is accurate, but if it’s authentic, if it’s a reflection of the scientific community or the science. Then it can impact on how people perceive this science.”

So which films communicate science most effectively?

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“2001 A Space Odyssey is by far and away the most scientifically authentic film ever made, Contact is another favourite, Contagion does a really good job too – in a pseudo-documentary way. There’s another film called The Fountain, which got mixed reviews, but it covers cancer research extremely effectively. Deep Impact is another example.”

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People need to know what science can and can’t do.

A former bench scientist and evolutionary geneticist, David believes the UK is a leader in thinking about science communication.

“We’re almost in a golden age of science communication, particularly in the UK. Manchester’s own Professor Brian Cox has played a big part in that. It’s a good time to be a science communicator. Although, as my colleagues point out, we need to communicate as much as we can because science is constantly under attack.

“It’s not about just being a PR flag for science. It’s also about letting people know what science is so that we can avoid a situation where people expect too much out of science. They need to know what science can and can’t do so that science has a good relationship with society.

“One of the things I found from talking to scientists for my book is that they don’t always want people looking at science through rose-coloured spectacles. Scientists are human beings, they’re not saints or sinners, they are real people and they should be portrayed that way in movies or on TV.”

www.chstm.manchester.ac.uk

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James King-Holmes/Science Photo Library©

Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw

Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw

The delight of discovery e renowned mathematician and politician, Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, received an honorary degree (DSc) from e University of Manchester in 2012 – the year of her 100th birthday. is followed an Hon LLD in 1976 from the Victoria University of Manchester and an Honorary Fellowship from UMIST in 1987. Philip Radcliffe, former Director of Communications at the University, reflects on her life and achievements.

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ttending a public lecture at Oxford by Einstein and not being able to hear a word of it – that is what happened to Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw. She makes light of it now. She is not one to let a handicap get the better of her. Even when her eyesight also started to fail in her 90s, she said: “There is still so much that is enjoyable that I can still do that I don’t allow myself to indulge in worry.” That is the spirit of this remarkable woman, known for her courage, determination and sense of enjoyment. With her technical aids, she still attends the opera at her beloved Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), which she was instrumental in creating.

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She became deaf when she was only eight years old – and learned to lip read (with the help of a professor at this University). She was 40 by the time technology provided her with “a proper hearing aid”, but nothing could ever hold her back. She has always been one for facing

challenges and getting things done. Her mantra is: “Help others as much as possible.” She was brought up, she says, with “an accepted code of strict honesty and a Protestant ethic of hard work and social obligation, of service to others less fortunate than oneself.”

The word “legendary” is much overused, but it is certainly appropriate in this case. Her services to the City of Manchester alone extend over the fields of local government, education at all levels (and for everyone), music, mathematics, statistics, astronomy and, wait for it, sport. This is a woman who played hockey for Oxford University, Lancashire and the North of England, as well as being highly rated at skiing, ice-skating and rockclimbing. No wonder she was referred to as a “pocket dynamo”, standing only 5ft 3 inches, but truly dynamic. And no wonder her fascinating autobiography is entitled To Talk of Many Things (Manchester University Press 2004). She has much to talk about, such is the range of her activity.

But above all, she is Manchester through and through: born here in Withington (1 October 1912), lived here all her life, served on the City Council for 25 years, been Lord Mayor (1975-76) and given the Freedom of the City (1984). There is hardly an institution in this city which has not benefited from her wholehearted involvement: Manchester University, UMIST before the merger, Manchester Polytechnic (becoming the MMU), the RNCM, the Hallé Orchestra, the BBC and Piccadilly Radio.

She acknowledges that she had the good fortune to be born into a privileged family: the Timpsons.

Her grandfather, William, she recounts, was helping to make boots when he was only eight years old. When he was 16, in 1865, he opened a boot and shoe shop near the city centre, leading eventually to the well-known chain of retail outlets in 1903.

“I have lived a life of privilege, loved and cherished by my parents, never enduring poverty or hardship, and benefiting from the advantage of being educated within the private sector,” she writes.

Therein lies the drive underpinning her outstanding record of public service.

At 19, she won a Mathematics Scholarship to Somerville College, Oxford. Mathematics has been a life-long source of pleasure – and achievement.

Even as a little girl, she recalls, she had “a passion for numbers”. She enjoys the pattern of numbers and the games one can play with them.

She has many maths publications to her credit up to being in her 90s, between 1964 and 2004, particularly in Mathematics Today, the journal of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, of which she has been President. She got her DPhil at Oxford in 1945 for original research on Critical Lattices, which is to do with solving problems of “close packing”. Typically, she illustrates it in a domestic context: “think how best to stack tins in a cupboard or oranges in a box”. Her book (with Professor David Bree), Most-Perfect Pandiagonal Magic Squares, published by the Institute in 1998, received widespread critical acclaim. She sees maths in everything – and for fun.

In spite of the wide range of her activity, her primary claim to fame is in the field of education, another passion. In 1954, she was co-opted on to the Manchester Education Committee. “I wanted to develop educational opportunities for all,” she says. Two years later she was elected to the Council as the Conservative member for Rusholme. That was the beginning of 25 years’ service.

It was a period of great expansion. “From the time I first became a member of the Education Committee my main interest was in post-school education,” she says. Her association with “the Tech”, as she refers to it, destined to become UMIST, began in 1955 when she became a governor. She also became a governor of the then Salford Royal Technical College (now a university, of course).Years later, in 1979, she was invited to become a Vice-President of UMIST.

Following the award of her honorary degree in 2012

Manchester set about a huge expansion of further education – and Kathleen was at the heart of it. “I threw myself into the work,” she says. Her work and reputation spread far beyond this city, serving on several national committees. In the decade from 1964-74, her achievement was incredible: Chairman of the Education Committee of the Association of Municipal Corporations, Member of the Council for National Academic Awards, First Chairman of Manchester Polytechnic, Chairman of the committee tasked with establishing the RNCM (and its first Chairman of Governors) to name but a few. The list of offices held is a long one. And she went on lecture tours and fact-finding missions to the USSR, the USA and Japan. In 1971, she was made a DBE for her services to education.

Now, having celebrated her 100th birthday last October, she can look back on a remarkable life. It hasn’t been without its sorrows – she lost both her children, Florence and Charles, before their time.

Her dear husband, Robert, whom she had known since they were six years old, died 25 years ago.

But she is, as ever, positive and philosophical.

“We need luck, good luck, and we hope for as little misfortune as possible, but it is inevitable that some things go wrong. If we live beyond the average life expectancy, we lose some of the friends and relatives we treasure most.” And she adds: “For me, when I have needed solace and I have had to depend on my own resources, the mathematics has been there. I am grateful.”

The Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Lecture 2013 8 October 2013 Lewis Carroll in Numberland Professor Robin Wilson, Emeritus Gresham Professor of Geometry Tickets are available from: Sebastian Rees, School of Mathematics Email: sebastian.rees@manchester.ac.uk YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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Welcome back You once saw Manchester through undergraduate eyes – now come back and see it through the lens of experience.

It was an amazing place then but it’s even better now and at the heart of any homecoming is The University of Manchester. There is plenty to do and see in and around the campus and the city region for you and your family – or why not arrange to meet up with your contemporaries in a trip down memory lane?

The University has lots to keep you entertained as part of an exclusive package of Your Manchester Extras.

The magnificent John Rylands Library is well-known as one of the city’s most famous landmarks and a world-renowned academic research library (also see page 5). The Grade I listed building boasts a programme of events and exhibitions appealing to all ages, from Doctor Who-style adventure family sleepovers and curator-led tours of the collections, to ground-breaking exhibitions. www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands

Alumni have free access to most of the University’s libraries and enjoy a 10 per cent discount at Café Rylands, the Manchester Museum Shop and the Whitworth Art Gallery Shop.

If you are coming back to Manchester, take advantage of special bed and breakfast rates at the University’s own 3 star AA rated Chancellors Hotel in Fallowfield. www.chancellors-hotel.co.uk

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48 hours in Over the years many alumni have met their future partners at the University and a 10 per cent discount on civil weddings in Whitworth Hall or the Council Chamber could provide you with the perfect venue for a perfect day.

www.chancellorshotel.co.uk/weddings-by-chancellors

The world-famous Jodrell Bank Observatory is a must for any return to Manchester. Now part of the University, Jodrell is not only home to leading astronomical research but also has a fascinating discovery centre, a galaxy garden and café, and now the world’s largest orrery – a moving model of the solar system. Awarded Cheshire Tourism Attraction of the Year 2012, the centre hosts spectacular ‘Live from Jodrell Bank’ science music festivals each summer.

The family friendly Manchester Museum is another award winner, receiving the Clore Award for Museum Learning last year. The museum is home to one of the largest and most important collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the UK. It also offers the opportunity to meet live frogs, amphibians and reptiles in the Vivarium.

It’s worth checking in with the Frog Blog before you arrive! http://frogblogmanchester.com

www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

www.jodrellbank.net

Manchester Alumni also enjoy concessionary rates and discounts at many of the city’s major tourist attractions, shops, restaurants and hotels.

To see the full range of discounts and services simply go to the Your Manchester Extras page at:

www.yourmanchester.manchester.ac.uk/NetCommunity/your-manchester-extras

These are exciting times at the Whitworth Art Gallery with work well under way to create an elegant and contemporary extension into Whitworth Park. Exhibition spaces and public areas will be doubled to protect and display more collections as part of the £15 million project. A grand opening is planned for June 2014.

www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

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Alumni in the spotlight

Matt Allwright

Ellen Wilkinson Photo by: Steve Meddle/Rex Features©

A freelance journalist and presenter, Matt Allwright (BA English Language and Literature 1991) is known particularly for Rogue Traders and The One Show. He has also presented The Food Inspectors, You’ve Been Scammed and Saints and Scroungers. He will appear in a new show – Keeping Britain Safe – in the autumn, where he meets the people responsible for our safety.

And, as he explained, “Sometimes they let me present programmes on music and film, which makes a nice change.”

Immediately after graduation he taught English in Japan for three years, returning to the UK for postgraduate studies and a job at BBC Southampton. “What Manchester and Japan both taught me was to keep an open mind, and to spot how easily your own bias and prejudice can influence what you write and say. Manchester was really the first time since primary school that I was challenged about the way I thought and expressed myself. It’s essential to the job I do now, and, I think, to a fulfilling life.”

Professor Dame Sally Davies The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England, Professor Dame Sally Davies (MB ChB Medicine 1972) received an honorary degree (DSc) from the University in December 2012. Dame Sally acts as the UK Government’s principal medical adviser and the professional head of all directors of public health in local government.

In 2006, she developed the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), which now has a budget of £1 billion. She chairs the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is a member of the Boards of the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research and the Medical Research Council, and advises many other international committees on research strategy and evaluation.

A regular commentator in the media on health issues, Dame Sally was quoted extensively earlier this year, referring to antibiotics’ resistance as a “ticking time bomb”, helping to raise the profile of the issue ahead of the G8 summit in London in April 2013.

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Following the 1945 General Election, Ellen Wilkinson (BA History 1913, MA History 1914, Hon LLD 1946) became the Minister of Education, the first woman in British history to hold the post. This year, the University’s Humanities Building was renamed the Ellen Wilkinson Building in her honour.

A more recent Education Secretary, Estelle Morris, unveiled a special display in the foyer, put together by pupils from Oswald Road Primary, the school where Ellen Wilkinson trained as a teacher. Baroness Morris said, “I’m so pleased that the University and Oswald Road School are recognising Ellen Wilkinson in her home city, in this way. She is a great inspiration to all generations.”

From a working-class family in Ardwick, Ellen Wilkinson became a student at the University in 1910, studying under renowned economic historian Professor George Unwin. She was active in the University Socialist Federation and the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies. She began her parliamentary career when she was elected as the Labour member for Middlesbrough East, and was one of the leaders of the Jarrow March of 1936. As Minister of Education, she oversaw the implementation of the 1944 Education Act.

Alumni in John Whaite Over 6.5 million people watched John Whaite (LLB Law 2012) win BBC Two’s The Great British Bake Off last year, and he started 2013 as a student at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. “I’m not pretending I’m an expert – that’s why I’m back at college, learning the basics – but I’ve been baking since I was five.

I’m not sure anyone is ever an expert when it comes to baking. It’s always about experimenting.”

His first book, John Whaite Bakes, was published in April and he is also a food columnist for Heat magazine. A far cry from his original career choice of banker. “At university, I’d bake to de-stress. All that weighing out, waiting, working through a recipe, gives you time to organise your thoughts.

Never mind a first-class degree – if you can produce a decent cake, people will be impressed!”

Piers Linney

Now a striker for Leeds United, Matt Smith (BSc International Management with American Business Studies 2011) was previously signed to Oldham Athletic football club. He was on the back pages of every national newspaper on 28 January 2013. They reported his two goals that helped to knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup. He responded, “It’s my career highlight; I won’t forget this for a long time. From the days of living in Fallowfield and playing for £80 a week part time, it’s a big difference to scoring a brace against Liverpool in the FA Cup!”

Cloud computing pioneer Piers Linney (BA Accounting and Law 1994) is the latest entrepreneur to join the Dragons’ Den, BBC Two’s business show.

He qualified as a solicitor specialising in private equity, and also worked as an investment banker and venture capital fund manager. Leaving banking in 2000 to start an internet business, he has since been involved in a number of technology, media and telecommunications businesses.

In his final year at the University, Matt was captain of the men's football team and was named in the England C squad for the final of the International Challenge Trophy against Portugal. He was also called up for the World University Games in China. He spent his teenage years in Cheltenham Town’s Academy before coming to Manchester and joining New Mills. He played in the USA during a year at Arizona State University as part of his degree, and signed for Oldham Athletic when he graduated.

Professor Caroline Wilkinson When bones buried beneath a car park in Leicester were confirmed to be those of one of England’s most notorious kings, Richard III, it was a method developed at the University of Manchester that put flesh on the bones of the mystery. Professor Caroline Wilkinson (BSc Physiology 1987, MSc Medical Art 1994, PhD Medical Art 2001), who reconstructed the king’s face from the skull, is a former member of staff in our Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, where the technique was pioneered. She is now the Professor of Craniofacial Identification at the University of Dundee.

She said, “It has been enormously exciting to rebuild and visualise the face that could be Richard III, and this depiction may allow us to see the King in a different light. His facial structure was produced using a scientific approach, based on anatomical assessment and interpretation, and a 3D replication process known as stereolithography. The final head was painted and textured with glass eyes and a wig, using the portraits as reference, to create a realistic and regal appearance.”

He is now joint chief executive of technology firm Outsourcery and sits on the governance board of the UK’s Cloud Industry Forum. In May 2011, he featured in the Channel 4 series Secret Millionaire, working with prisoners in a young offenders’ institution. He is also named in the Powerlist, a compendium of the 100 most influential black Britons. He said, “I think I can widen the appeal of Dragons’ Den to information economy entrepreneurs as they are the key to the future success of the UK economy.”

Andrew Cosslett Andrew Cosslett (BA Economics 1977, MA (Econ) Community Studies 1978) is the chief executive officer of Fitness First, the international operator of fitness facilities. He was also named the non-executive chairman of England Rugby 2015 – the organising committee for the 2015 Rugby World Cup – in March 2012. He said, “I am delighted to be able to play my part in delivering Rugby World Cup 2015. England 2015 is a great challenge but a tremendous opportunity.”

Photo by: Andrew Fosker/Rex Features©

the spotlight

Photo by: Jason Alden/Rex Features©

Matt Smith

He was selected for this role for his international business experience and leadership skills, built over 30 years. In addition to being chief executive officer of InterContinental Hotels Group (2005-11), he has been a board member of the Executive Committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council, a member of the President’s Committee of the Confederation of British Industry and a board member of the International Tourism Partnership.

Before this, he spent 14 years with Cadbury Schweppes in roles including Chairman, Australia; Chief Executive, Asia Pacific; Managing Director, Great Britain and Ireland; and President, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

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Outstanding Alumni Awards

Outstanding and inspirational Outstanding Alumni Awards are presented to alumni who have achieved distinction: in their profession; through exemplary service to the University or the wider community; or through outstanding service of a personal or humanitarian nature. Here we feature the recipients for 2012 and 2013.

Mr John Heyworth FRCS, FCEM, FIFEM (MB ChB Medicine 1976) Consultant, Emergency Medicine, Southampton General Hospital John Heyworth has dedicated his professional career to improving the welfare of patients by transforming emergency medical care throughout the UK. He was the first elected President of the College of Emergency Medicine and is the current President of the European Society for Emergency Medicine.

Michael Napier CBE, QC (LLB (Ord) 1967) Consultant on civil justice Recognised as one of the most innovative lawyers of his generation, Michael Napier is an effective champion of the reform and modernisation of the civil justice system. He was voted Lawyer of the Year in the 2012 Legal Business Awards for his 30 years as senior partner at Irwin Mitchell.

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Andrew Cohen (BSc Pharmacology and Physiology 1994) Head of BBC Science Andrew Cohen has produced award-winning shows such as Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe, and landmark series including Inside the Human Body and Planet Dinosaur. He worked on the Wonders of Life with academics from the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University.

Professor Alan Cowley FRS (BSc Chemistry 1955, MSc Science 1956, PhD 1958) Robert A Welch Chair in Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin One of the world’s leading organic chemists, Alan Cowley is involved in the development of novel polymers that can be used in antimicrobial and anticancer treatments. He received the American Chemical Society’s Distinguished Service Award in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry.

Dr Duncan Casson (BSc Biochemistry 1980) Consultant to the biopharmaceutical industry Duncan Casson has over 25 years’ experience in the development of biologics including antibodies, recombinant proteins and autologous therapies.

His career has focused on turning research into applications that improve lives. After successfully running his company, PanGenetics, he now advises a number of biotech companies on developing new therapeutic biological products.

Toby Jones (BA Drama 1989) Film and theatre actor Toby Jones’ comic turn as Arthur in The Play What I Wrote earned him the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He was the voice of Dobby the House Elf in the Harry Potter films and was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as Alfred Hitchcock in The Girl.

Dr Catherine O’Keeffe (BNurs 1985, MEd Education for Primary Health Care 1993, MPhil Education 2005) Senior Lecturer in Clinical Education, Institute of Education, University of London Catherine O’Keeffe is concerned with international development and the education of multidisciplinary teams providing HIV care services.

She has close links with Mildmay International, a pioneering HIV charity working in the UK, subSaharan Africa and Eastern Europe.

Jackie Caine (BSc Zoology with Industrial Experience 2006) Senior Science Policy Advisor, Society of Biology The Society of Biology advises government and encourages public interest in the life sciences.

Jackie Caine has given evidence to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Science and Technology, advising on key policy work. She is also involved with Groho, an urban greening project to transform Soho, London.

Paul McCreesh (MusB Music 1981) Artistic director and principal conductor The founder of the Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh’s catalogue of recordings with Deutsche Grammophon includes Haydn’s The Creation, which received a Gramophone Award for Best Choral Recording. He appears as a guest conductor around the world, and is now the principal conductor and artistic adviser of the Gulbenkian Orchestra.

Adam Umarji (MBA Entrepreneurship 2004) Director of General Traffic Adam Umarji (pictured above right with the University Chancellor) opened the first branch of General Traffic in 1983, and the family-run business is now one of the largest stockists of automotive spares in the North West and the Potteries. He is also a trustee of the Essa Foundation, and a Director of the Islamic Cultural Centre and the Minority Business Forum.

Gerry Pennell OBE (BSc Mathematics 1980) Director of IT, The University of Manchester Gerry Pennell was the Chief Information Officer for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, responsible for delivering the substantial technology programme that underpinned the entire operation. He was also Director of Technology for the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002.

Michael Parker CBE (BSc Chemical Engineering 1968, MBA 1972) Former head of Dow and BNFL Michael Parker (pictured above left with Professor Michael Luger) had a 34-year career with the Dow Chemical Company and served as President and Chief Executive. He was Group Chief Executive of British Nuclear Fuels (2003-09). He is a director of PV Crystalox Solar, Invensys and SNC-Lavalin, and is also the Chairman of the charity Street League.

Please get in touch if you would like to make a suggestion for a future recipient of an Outstanding Alumni Award. Please submit your nomination to the Development and Alumni Relations team: Email: alumni@manchester.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 161 306 3066 YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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Development and alumni news Faculty Alumni team Richard Screaton (centre) Senior Alumni Officer Emma Packham (second from left) Faculty Alumni Officer for the Faculties of Humanities and Engineering and Physical Sciences James Cumbers (left) Faculty Alumni Officer for the Faculties of Life Sciences and Medicine and Health Sciences Rosie Haynes (right) Assistant Alumni and Development Officer (Communications) Dave Hargreaves (second from right) Assistant Alumni and Development Officer (Information Management) The team also support existing programmes and those that are administered by University colleagues, such as the Careers Service’s Manchester Gold mentoring programme.

Giving back: your expertise is a vital resource any of our alumni are taking advantage of the various volunteering opportunities available at the University – in fact, we now have over 1,000 alumni volunteers!

Our current students find this contact incredibly helpful. Alumni volunteers have the opportunity to meet bright, enquiring minds, helping them grow and develop over time. If you are looking to

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develop your mentoring skills or potentially employ intelligent, keen individuals with a quality education, getting involved as a volunteer offers you tangible benefits.

In order to manage this activity more effectively, our Faculty Alumni team are busy making contacts between colleagues around the University and our alumni community, bringing a wealth of expertise and experience on to the campus.

Volunteering programmes currently include: • Alumni Buddying • Speed Networking • Alumni-Student Project Mentoring • Alumni-Student Entrepreneurial Mentoring • Global Graduates Scheme • External Speaker Programme • Industry Panels To find out how you can become a volunteer at the University visit: www.yourmanchester.manchester. ac.uk/NetCommunity/Get-Involved

Swift success for ‘speed mentoring’

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e brought together students and graduates from the Faculty of Life Sciences (FLS) last November for a networking event with a twist – speed mentoring. The willing alumni offered information and advice regarding their careers since graduation, highlighting the varied and interesting paths that current students may one day follow.

Charlotte Alcock, FLS Recruitment, Admissions and Marketing Officer, said: “Life Science students are often unaware of the wide range of career options available after graduation. Many consider teaching or research to be their only career paths. The mentors were specially chosen to represent a whole range of life-science-related careers

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including pharmaceutical marketing and publishing, conservation, forensic science, medical sales and clinical science. As around 50 per cent of FLS graduates go into non-science-based careers, we also included representatives from fields such as law, accountancy and NHS management.”

The event was a great success. Comments included: “I really did enjoy learning about the different areas which a science graduate could enter and was surprised to see how lucrative the career of a science graduate could be”; and “I found the event useful, especially from speaking with one of the visitors who I feel I could contact in the future with more questions or approach with a CV!”

Downtown New York

Students go global

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mployers increasingly look for global graduates – graduates who have a greater appreciation and understanding of different cultures and working practices.

The Manchester Global Graduates Scheme is a new and growing joint programme, organised with the Careers Service, to help our students stand out in the competitive jobs market.

The University sponsored two students to visit Singapore and two students to visit New York for one week each in the summer of 2012. These cities were selected as both have vibrant and diverse economies. They also have very active

University alumni associations and many of our alumni are keen to support this programme.

The students met and interviewed several University alumni and other business representatives. All four of them came away with a broader international appreciation of business and reported that they greatly enjoyed meeting the alumni: “All the alumni commented that the education they received in Manchester equipped them with the knowledge they needed to reach the next level in their career or to practise in a new area of the business world.”

The voice of experience

In 2013, the scheme increased to 16 participants, attracting over 450 applicants. The additional 12 places were made possible by a generous gift from Paul Lee, a member of the University’s Board of Governors; they are named the Lee Global Graduate Scholarships. The popularity of the scheme gives an indication of the enthusiasm our students have for adding an international element to their University experience. We are keen to ensure that the scheme grows year on year. www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/ students/findingwork/ workexperience/globalgraduates

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n appreciative audience of students and staff from the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures attended a careers event, which focused on the experiences of several alumni – including Dan Poole (BA English and American Studies 2003), Phoebe Myers (BA English and American Literature 1990) and Rose Rees-Bann (BA English Literature 2011, MA English and American Studies 2012). They discussed their career progression and offered advice. The question and answer session was very popular! Dan, a sub editor/writer for Monocle magazine, said, “I felt like I was making a useful contribution to a university that gave me so much. I know what it’s like to be a student suddenly faced with the prospect of starting a career so it’s rewarding to think that I might have made the idea of that transition a little less scary for at least one person in the room.”

To register your interest in taking part in careers events or mentoring, or to provide a career profile, contact: Email: alumni@manchester.ac.uk

(left-right) Phoebe Myers, Rose Rees-Bann and Dan Poole YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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Development and alumni news

Alumni events The Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture 2012 Professor Brian Cox, alumnus and member of staff in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, delivered the Alumni Association’s Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture in June 2012, when he shared his experiences as ‘A Scientist in Professor Brian Cox the Media’ and explored the importance of making science accessible to everyone. In fact, he delivered the lecture twice, to a combined audience of 1,500 alumni. He talked about the growing importance of science in popular culture and in influencing public policy.

He also included a summary of the research at CERN in Geneva and the search for the Higgs boson particle, delivered with the sort of clarity and flair that millions enjoy on television worldwide.

Brian’s Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture, with a welcome to alumni and introduction from the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor is available at: www.manchester.ac.uk/alumni/ymo

Brian delivered a lecture and introduced the BBC series, Wonders of Life, at the Sydney Opera House in the same month as the Australia and New Zealand Humungous Reunion 2012. He also hosted a full-tocapacity screening of an episode for alumni, staff and students at the University in February 2013, alongside colleagues from the Faculty of Life Sciences who contributed to the series.

2012 London Alumni Dinner The Churchill War Rooms (left), beneath Whitehall in central London, were the venue for the 2012 London Alumni Dinner, hosted by the President and Vice-Chancellor. Over 120 alumni and guests also explored the museum. The guest speaker was Dr Max Jones, Senior Lecturer in Modern History in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

Russell Group Universities Alumni Reception All alumni from the 24 Russell Group universities – the leading universities in the UK – who live in the Manchester area were invited to attend a reception at the University in October 2012. This was a great opportunity for people to network with fellow professionals and connect with alumni from across the country.

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China visit Dean and Vice-President of Humanities Professor Keith Brown led a team from the University to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in September 2012.

There was a huge response from our alumni with over 700 people attending the three receptions. Some invaluable networks were established, one of which has given rise to a new Beijing Alumni group, to join the existing Shanghai and Hong Kong groups.

Australia and New Zealand Humungous Reunion 2012 The largest and most successful Australian and New Zealand reunion took place in November 2012, with events in ten locations, communicating over five time zones through the technology of Skype and video conferencing.

This logistical feat was achieved by our International Alumni Co-ordinator for Australia, Julia Eagles (BSc Mathematics 1982), and the team of regional co-ordinators who operated in Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania, Brisbane and Auckland; Jill Griggs (BSc (T) Computation 1973) co-ordinated activity in Christchurch and Wellington in New Zealand.

Singapore and Malaysia Alumni Receptions The President and Vice-Chancellor hosted two alumni dinners in Singapore (above left) and Malaysia (above right) in January 2013. The new President of the Singapore Alumni Association, Hian Seng Tang (BEng Electronic Engineering 1999), said, “The Singapore event allowed me to get connected with many new fellow alumni friends, and these new connections not only allow friendly, social interaction but also present potential business opportunities.”

Vince Chong (LLB Law 2008) enjoyed the dinner in Kuala Lumpur and said, “A group of us who are past-Presidents and ex-Committee Members of the Malaysian Students' Society of Manchester are currently working together to set up an alumni group here in Malaysia.”

Visit the Events and Calendar section of Your Manchester Online for details of forthcoming alumni events: www.yourmanchester.manchester.ac.uk/netcommunity YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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Development and alumni news

Social Responsibility and Volunteer of the Year Awards Many students, alumni and staff give their personal time and energy to undertake public engagement work or volunteering with disadvantaged groups in the community locally, nationally and overseas. In addition, as part of its strategic vision, the University aims to encourage greater social responsibility (Goal 3 in the Manchester 2020 Vision).

The Social Responsibility and Volunteer of the Year Awards recognise and celebrate this activity. ‘Alumni of the Year’ is one of the three award categories.

Alumni winner 2012 Estelle Goodwin (MA Ancient World Studies 2010) Estelle founded the charity KIN (Kibera in Need) in 2007, supporting projects in the vast Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. KIN is linked with the Kenyan non-governmental organisation Riziki, and together they run an education support scheme, a child guardianship scheme, microfinance and a series of seminars giving guidance on parenting, reproductive health, career choice and vocational training. There are over 800 small business clients and the feeding programme helps 200 children and caregivers each week.

Alumni award 2nd place 2012 Ann Lipson (BA Mathematics and Physics 1959) In 1974, Ann moved from the UK to teach at a large girls’ boarding school in Western Kenya. She started a sponsorship programme using both her own money and contributions from many friends back in the UK to ensure that students could finish their education.

Alumni award 3rd place 2012 Imtiaz Hussain (MA Arabic Studies 2003) As the manager of Jinnah Day Care Centre in Bury, Imtiaz has worked to tackle issues of concern to the Asian elderly such as poor health, lack of opportunities and access to provision.

Alumni winner 2013 Dr Sheena Tyler (PhD Zoology 1994) Sheena established the Longdendale Community Group, which voices the needs and concerns of the local community, most notably in the deprived area of Hattersley. The group addresses issues that impact social welfare, such as new planning proposals and local investment.

The President and Vice-Chancellor with Estelle Goodwin and Imtiaz Hussain and…

Social Responsibility and Volunteer of the Year Awards

Alumni award 2nd place 2013 Siân Millward (BA Applied Community and Youth Work Studies 2012)

The awards are organised by the Careers and Employability Division, which is part of the Directorate for the Student Experience. For full details of the awards and eligibility criteria visit.

Siân contributes to a number of projects to support disadvantaged young people and women, including the National Youth Board for Oxfam and the Access all Areas programme based in the Students’ Union, which supports students to deliver volunteering projects.

www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/ volunteeroftheyear

Alumni award 3rd place 2013 Peter Mount CBE (BSc Mechanical Engineering 1961) Peter is the founder of the charity Helping Uganda Schools and has raised over £700,000 to fund three schools and an orphanage in Uganda and Rwanda. …Dr Sheena Tyler

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Also see page 26 for news of award-winning community involvement by University staff.

10,000 donors and still counting

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n December 2012, a recent graduate became our 10,000th recorded donor to The University of Manchester and its predecessor institutions when she made a gift during the Your Manchester Fund (YMF) telephone campaign.

Stephanie Sparkes (BA Geography 2011) donated a ‘class’ gift of £20.11 in celebration of her graduating year.

She chose to direct her gift towards students from the Greater Manchester area who may not be able to attend university without additional financial support, via an Opportunity Manchester Scholarship.

She said, “I was more than happy to miss a night at the pub and instead give a donation that, alongside

Recent Geography graduate, Stephanie Sparkes, is the 10,000th University of Manchester donor

others, will ultimately allow people to have the valuable educational experience which I enjoyed. If we want to widen the net of support for students it's up to us, as alumni or friends, to make that happen. It may only mean a small donation, (or perhaps a large one too!) but anything is better than nothing at all.”

Director of Development and Alumni Relations Chris Cox added, “This marks a real milestone in The University of Manchester’s long history of philanthropy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Stephanie and the other 9,999 recorded donors over the decades for their commitment to helping the University and its students.”

Please use the donation form on your update form if you want to start supporting your University’s philanthropic priorities today.

One hundred million reasons to celebrate

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he University reached an important milestone in March 2012 when a £1.33 million gift from Rory Brooks (BSc (T) Management Sciences 1975, Hon LittD 2010) and his wife Elizabeth took the total amount committed by donors to the University since its foundation in 2004 to over £100 million.

The donation was made to the Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI) at the University and takes the couple’s support to £4 million over the past nine years. The BWPI is an international centre of excellence established to create and share knowledge to end poverty throughout the world.

Rory Brooks said, “The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation is delighted to commit to further support for the University to enable the BWPI to continue its important work as part of a wider commitment to support the bold aspirations of The University of Manchester’s 2020 Vision.”

The President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, responded, “This is far-sighted, generous and sustained philanthropy of the highest order. This milestone is to be celebrated with warm thanks to all of our donors, at all levels, and from all parts of the world.”

Rory Brooks (second right) in Bangladesh YOUR MANCHESTER MAGAZINE

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Development and alumni news

What our student callers say

Ayesha Kumar (MSc Healthcare Management 2013) What have you learnt from being a student caller?

“The conversations I have had with different alumni have showed me that life can take you anywhere. I am also now more aware of the good work that alumni donations do in providing grants, in relation to helping students both from local areas and in deprived countries.”

What would you say to a potential donor to encourage them to support the University?

“Donating gives a sense of satisfaction. Your donation will contribute towards the greatest need by motivating students and ensuring that The University of Manchester is one of the world’s leading institutions.”

Members of our telephone campaign team

Investing in your University’s future We’d like to say “ank you” for the support, both financial and in terms of mentoring and career development, offered by our alumni to our current students.

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he generosity of our alumni who continue to respond positively to our annual telephone campaigns for Your Manchester Fund (YMF) never ceases to amaze us. A dedicated team of 35 students – from departments across the campus – make thousands of calls to alumni. They chat, share news of University developments, and update alumni on their old department and student haunts – as well as reassure those no longer living in the North West that it still rains here!

You may already have read of the impressive milestones that alumni have helped us reach in the past year elsewhere in this magazine and the good news doesn’t stop there.

It is during these conversations that alumni often talk about the importance of education and how it affected their lives; in turn, they hear about the positive impact of alumni support on today’s current and prospective students.

Also as part of this year’s telephone appeals over 1,300 alumni have expressed an interest in getting involved in volunteering their time, through activities such as mentoring a student.

And many of our alumni generously do both, giving time and money.

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This year’s YMF campaigns have received nearly 1,000 new pledges to donate gifts, bringing the total number of alumni donors giving this year to over 4,000. Over the last five years, the campaigns have raised over £200,000, providing flexible student-focused support alongside the impact of major gifts across the campus.

Jenny Seward (MSc Poverty and Development 2013) What attracted you to the job of student caller?

“It is partly due to my scholarship from the North American Foundation for The University of Manchester that I am here, and so I wanted to do whatever I could to ensure students like me have the same opportunities.”

What do you enjoy about calling alumni and donors?

“I love hearing about the diversity of experiences alumni had while at the University and in Manchester, as well as finding out what they are up to now. It provides a real look at life at the University over the last five decades, and I have learnt a lot about the University’s legacy and transformation over this time.”

What would you say to a potential donor to encourage them to support the University?

“By supporting a young person’s education, you give them opportunities and experiences that allow them to reach their full potential. Beyond the academic aspect, a person’s worldview is often shaped while they are young, and what better place to do so than at a world-renowned institution where their intellect is stretched?”

Fund Together we’re shaping the world of tomorrow

A grant from the Learning Enrichment Fund has allowed Fuse FM, the student radio station, to buy new equipment

Research Impact Scholarship recipient Katie Muddiman

Research Impact Scholarship recipient Adrian Harwood

Making a difference Your Manchester Fund is an excellent, all-inclusive way by which any graduate can make a difference, help support a gied but under-financed student and invest in the University and its world-changing research. e Fund is used in a variety of ways to support students’ educational and development opportunities.

The Opportunity Manchester Scholarships are for students from the Greater Manchester area who have proved their academic talent through exceptional A-level results and outstanding performance at pre-University summer schools, workshops and academic assignments. Over 200 students are currently receiving an Opportunity Manchester Scholarship of £1,000, which aim to support students from low income backgrounds during their first year of study, and this will grow to 400 in 2013/14.

Bridging Hardship Awards provide a safety net for those students who, due to unforeseen circumstances, experience financial hardship during their time at University that would otherwise threaten the continuance of their studies.

Global Outreach funds provide Equity and Merit Scholarships for students from developing countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Bangladesh and Tanzania. You can read more about these vital scholarships on page 21.

Learning Enrichment Awards provide funding for projects across campus that enrich the academic experience for the whole student body.

Research Impact Scholarships support promising PhD students as they seek to contribute to the understanding of some of the world’s most pressing global issues.

How to donate To make a gift or for more information on Your Manchester Fund, please contact: Rob Summers, Annual Fund Manager Email: rob.summers@manchester.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 2192

www.yourmanchester.manchester. ac.uk/NetCommunity/ymf

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Development and alumni news

Partnership secures major grant for cancer research

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n November 2012, the University made a successful bid to the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund for £12.8 million to support cancer research. Staff from the Division of Development and Alumni Relations were instrumental in making this bid in collaboration with our Manchester Cancer Research Centre partners. The funds – awarded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – have been given to the University to part fund the construction of a new University cancer research building on The Christie site in Withington. It will also pay for vital equipment to progress cancer research development in Manchester.

Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences Professor Ian Jacobs said, “The funding from HEFCE is recognition of the excellent quality of cancer research in Manchester. The new cancer research building will facilitate plans for expansion of our cancer research effort and provide an exciting opportunity to accelerate our personalised medicine plans in cancer.”

The University’s successful bid to the scheme was made possible due to external funding from business, charities and philanthropists, including AstraZeneca, The Wolfson Foundation and The Oglesby Charitable Trust.

For details of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre’s work visit: www.mcrc.manchester.ac.uk

New Constitution

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his year’s Annual General Meeting of the Alumni Association was a lively affair, with a number of alumni attending and joining in the discussions. The main topic of debate was the proposal to change the Constitution, providing a document that will support the development of alumni activities well into the future. A ‘task and finish’ group has been set up to fine tune the new Constitution, ensuring that it serves the needs of the alumni body, the Association and its Advisory Board, the Division of Development and Alumni Relations and the wider University. The final document will be brought to a general meeting of the Alumni Association in the autumn of 2013, so look out for your email invitation to attend. Come and play a part in the future of the Association.

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Members of the HKFUM were among the guests at an alumni reception in Hong Kong, September 2012

Manchester’s global impact

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ome of the University’s most successful Hong Kong-based alumni have come together as the newly formed Hong Kong Foundation for The University of Manchester (HKFUM), which was officially launched in December 2012 to help raise funds for our philanthropic goals. Board members personally give generously to the University and also volunteer their time to encourage alumni based in mainland China and Hong Kong to do the same.

The Foundation has received its first six-figure donation of £116,000 from Louis Wong (BSc Engineering 1974) to support a PhD student researching graphene and its medical applications. Eric Li (BA Economics 1971, Hon LLD 2001), President of HKFUM, is also supporting a PhD scholarship, for the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI): “It really takes well planned and carefully managed relief efforts, together with sustained reconstruction, to minimise human suffering and to help the affected community back on its feet.

HCRI is a pioneer in this area and, with China having a fair share of natural disasters every year, the connection for me is obvious.”

It is expected that HKFUM will go from strength to strength in the same way as its counterpart on the other side of the globe, the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester (NAFUM). Since 1999, NAFUM has provided scholarship support to students; over 100 students’ lives have been changed to date, thanks to the generosity of US alumni.

Each year the value of NAFUM is reinforced as US alumni continue to support the University through their generous giving and volunteering through programmes such as the Global Graduates Scheme (see page 39), which in

2013 sees four students spending time with alumni in their New York businesses to broaden their international horizons.

NAFUM is looking forward to another active year under the guidance of its new President, Gian Fulgoni (BSc Physics 1969), whose term of office began in June. We would also like to thank the outgoing NAFUM President, Tony Thornley (BSc Chemistry 1967), who stepped down after six years.

Gian Fulgoni For details of the HKFUM, contact Development and Alumni Relations: Email: alumni@manchester.ac.uk

For details of the NAFUM, follow the links from the Your Manchester home page at: www.yourmanchester. manchester.ac.uk

Legacy Reflecting your vision and your values

A positive influence on the future

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f you are thinking of remembering a charity in your will, we invite you to consider the University alongside your other commitments. The generosity of a legacy can make a difference in ways you might not realise. This is an increasingly popular way for alumni to show their affection for their University and their wish to invest in its future.

Helping our staff and students pursue research into sustainable energy, cancer treatments, disease prevention and control, stroke treatment and other global challenges is a truly special gift.

In the past year, the University has received over £500,000 in legacy gifts and these monies are now supporting staff and students in their endeavours to tackle some of the major social, economic and environmental problems that affect our society.

Alumni often consider making a gift to the University in their will if they are unable to make a gift in their lifetime, in the knowledge that they will benefit future generations.

If you are considering – or have already decided to remember the University in your will – we thank you sincerely and are keen to acknowledge your generosity. We would encourage you to share your plans with us to ensure that the University meets your wishes in full.

For further information, please contact: Lesley Dowdall, Head of Donor Programmes Email: lesley.dowdall@manchester.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 2373

Your impact “I have decided to leave a legacy to the University as a token of my appreciation for the education I received at Manchester. It is only with the passing of time that you begin to reflect on what you have valued most. My appreciation of the education I received at Manchester grows. In particular I value the tutors who left me with an appreciation of the importance of academic freedom and of critical thinking. It is to help to keep that alive that I have made my gesture to the Department of History to show my support for its work.”

Stephen Nash (BA Politics and Modern History 1980)

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Your Manchester Extras

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